Australia could have a new coach for the Ashes this year as Mal Meninga prepares to be named the inaugural head coach of the Perth Bears.
The current Kangaroos and former Queensland coach is expected to be named the NRL's 18th club's inaugural head coach in the coming weeks, giving him under six months of preparation time before November 1, when the Bears can begin signing players.
The move to replace Meninga as head coach is being driven by the NRL and Australian Rugby League Commission on two fronts, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Firstly, the Kangaroos will be in England playing the rugby league Ashes as the club ticks over to November 1. Meninga will be otherwise occupied with Australian commitments in the lead up to November 1, and then stuck in England when the calendar does tick over.
Signing players to the Perth-based franchise is likely to be the toughest play for the Bears, and given the squad the Dolphins were able to grab for their first season as an NRL club in a far friendlier area for players to live, there are real question marks around the type of squad the Western Australian-based outfit will be able to provide.
The other point which will see Meninga replaced is the fact that there is a Rugby League World Cup just 12 months after the Ashes to be held in Australia. The ARL want a new coach inserted with time to prepare a team for that tournament.
Per the report, former Blues coach Brad Fittler, former Queensland and Broncos boss Kevin Walters - who was also interviewed for the Bears' job - and Queensland great Cameron Smith are the three names in the mix to be named the next Kangaroos coach.
The ARLC will want to move towards a decision quickly, with the Kangaroos squad to travel to the United Kingdom to be picked straight after the grand final, and a training camp for players on eliminated teams - as well as the regular PM's XIII match - likely to be held during the finals series.
